Nothing Is What It Seems

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"As the world fell down." Why had those words sounded so familiar? Jareth moved towards the large window in his chambers. They like the song that he had heard softly in his mind's ear had felt so familiar and important. Why? Sitting on the stone ledge beside the window, he looked out over the Labyrinth. He conjured a crystal and began to absentmindedly moved it between his hands.

He knew the song with its haunting melody, sounded like something he would had written. Wait, he had written it. The words came floating back to him. "As the world falls down." He had written the song years ago, how could she know about the song? The only being alive who knew that song besides him was... No it couldn't be. Could it? He stopped moving the crystal and stood up suddenly.

If Sarah was in the Underground, he would know. He would've sensed her as she had crossed over from the mortal world. He would know if Sarah was hiding in his kingdom or any where in the Underground. Leaning against the side of the window, he looked down at the crystal in his hand. Sarah's image should have appeared within its depth, but instead it only showed gray smoke.

Only his parents who could interfere with magic, as they could with all of the other lesser monarchs; but why would they prevent him from viewing Sarah? Were his parents hoping that he would finally move on, or were they hiding her from him? He lowered the crystal. There were other ways of finding out if she was in the Underground.

The dwarf wouldn't reveal anything, but Sir Didymus would. Of course, the old knight would be torn in two trying to serve his king and his lady.

Sighing, he flicked his wrist, causing the the crystal to disappear. He wouldn't do that to the knight. He just wanted to find her and talk to her. What rumors had she heard? He feared the ones among the Fae more so than the goblins. The goblins loved her, while the Fae didn't understand her.

He needed to find a way to draw her out, but how? If he held another ball would she come? What would draw her out? He could threaten her friends, but that was too far even for him. No, it needed to be something special. Something that he knew she couldn't stay away from, but what?

XOXOX

The High Queen had felt it. Her son knew who his lovely mystery woman was. Now it was up to him on how he reacted. Oh, she wouldn't stop protecting the child. She still needed some time to learn her feelings. That son of hers would no doubt wish to host a ball as soon as possible, but she knew that wouldn't be wise.

He had no idea that he was working the poor girl and his staff half to death. To be kind to her hopefully, that is if her son didn't mess up again, daughter in law, she would call her son away from his castle for a few weeks. The poor staff would no doubt guess and gossip, while she kept him busy and prevented him from making any real plans.

Of course, she would be attending the next ball. There was no way she was going to miss it. Either her son would succeed or he would fail. Well, not so much as fail, but really anger the girl. Then she would have to help the child to understand her son's reasoning.

Sighing, she tossed the crystal in her hand into the air. She could only hope the child would appreciate what she was doing for her. Hopefully, she had learned that lesson from her time running the Labyrinth. Of course, she had a suspicious feeling that both her son and the girl weren't going to be too thrilled with her, but at least they wouldn't both be so damn sad all the time.

Smiling softly, she conjured another crystal. After a few moments, she blew gently on it, and it floated away. She watched it float out the opened window and begin its journey to the monarch of the Goblin Kingdom.